Time setting device for an electronic clock

ABSTRACT

The invention relates to a time setting device for an electronic watch comprising an oscillator, a frequency divider and counting and display devices for the minutes and for the hours connected in series. This device comprises further at least one commutator to switch the input of the counter of the watch onto a capacitor, a resistor charging said capacitor, the forward or backward stepping of this counter of one unit being controlled by the discharge of said capacitor.

A United States Patent Polin et al.

TIME SETTING DEVICE FOR AN ELECTRONIC CLOCK Herbert S. Polin; GustavoKuhn, both of Veyrier, Switzerland Inventors:

Assignee: Paul Vogel, Geneva, Switzerland Filed: June 5, 1970 Appl. No.:43,821

Foreign Application Priority Data March 7, 1969 Switzerland l0l64/69 US.Cl. ..58/23 R, 58/85.5 Int. CL ..G04c 3/00, G04b 27/00 Field of Search..58/4-6, 23 R23 A, 58/33, 34, 35, 85.5

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 7/1965 Polin ..58/5O FREQUENCYDIVIDER LOSCILLATOR MINUTES DISPLAY 51 June 13, 1972 3,276,200 10/1966Freeman ..58/50 Primary Examiner-Richard B. Wilkinson AssistantExaminer-Edith C. Simmons Attorney-Joseph M. Fitzpatrick, John ThomasCella, Charles B. Cannon, Lawrence G. Scinto, Carroll G. Harper, CharlesW. Bradley, Edwin T. Grimes, William J. Brunet and Robert L. Baechtold57 ABSTRACT The invention relates to a time setting device for anelectronic watch comprising an oscillator, a frequency divider andcounting and display devices for the minutes and for the hours connectedin series. This device comprises further at least one commutator toswitch the input of the counter of the watch onto a capacitor, aresistor charging said capacitor, the forward or backward stepping ofthis counter of one unit being controlled by the discharge of saidcapacitor.

5 Claims, 2 Drawing figures HOURS DISPLAY 1 TIME SETTING DEVICE FOR ANELECTRONIC CLOCK The present invention has for its object a time settingdevice for an electronic time indicator and more particularly for anelectronic watch.

The known electronic clocks or table clocks comprise time settingcircuits of two different types. The ones are used to reset once forevery 24 hours the time indicator in a well determined position forexample at 12 o'clock. Thus once a day at 12 oclock the time setting isautomatically made what enables to cancel the working errors from oneday on the other. These time setting devices are however not adapted forthe portable electronic watches which have to be able to be set at anytime of the day and if possible at one or several time setting speeds.

There exist electronic watches the time setting circuit of whichcomprises two control switches and causing, when they are actuated, thefeeding either of the hours counter, or of the minutes counter with asignal of a frequency higher than the one corresponding to the normalworking of the watch. It is thus possible to advance the time indicatorat two different speeds, both greater than the normal working speed byinjection of a frequency for example of one cps at the input of theminutes counter or at the input of the hours counter.

The drawback of such devices resides on the one hand in the fact that toeffect the time setting of the watch it is necessary to operate severalswitches and on the other hand in the fact to have only one or severaldefinite speeds for the time setting.

The present invention tends to remedy to these drawbacks by the factthat the time setting device of an electronic watch comprises at leastone commutator enabling to switch the input of the counter of the watchon a capacitor, which is charged through a resistor, the discharge ofwhich causes the forward or rearward counting of one unit of thiscounter.

The attached drawing shows schematically and by way of example twoembodiments of the device according to the invention.

F IG. 1 is a first embodiment thereof.

FIG. 2 is a second embodiment thereof.

The electronic watch shown very schematically at FIG. 1 comprises a mainoscillator l feeding a frequency divider 2 controlling a counting anddisplay device for the minutes 3, which feeds in its turn a counting anddisplay device of the hours 4.

The time setting device comprises two push button switches 5 and 6 whichare normally maintained in the position shown by a spring, and theelectronic watch is working normally.

When it is desired to change manually the indication of the minutes forexample, one has to make a short pressure on the switch 5. Thisoperation disconnects temporarily through the contact 5a the minutescounting circuit 3 of the oscillator l and applies an electric pulseobtained through the discharge of a capacitor 7 which has been chargedby a resistor 8. This pulse makes the minutes counting and displaydevice 3 to go forward by one unit.

By actuating several times the push button 5, the pulse is produced eachtime, and the minutes indication goes forward step by step, enablingthus the setting at any wanted value of the display of the minutes. Asecond contact 5b of the commutator 5 interrupts the normal connectionbetween the minutes counter 3 and the hours counter 4 during theproduction of the pulse which makes the minutes counter 3 to go forwardstep by step. This is done in order to avoid that during the setting ofthe minutes, the indication of the hours be changed.

If one desires to modify the hours indicator, one proceeds in the sameway as for the minutes setting, in actuating this time the push button6, the working of which is the same as. the push button 5 but for thatit has no second contact since the hours counter 4 is not followed byother counters. The forward setting pulse is given by the discharge ofthe condenser 9 charged by a resistor 10. This arrangement permits toeffectuate a setting of the hour step by step of an electronic watch bycommencing either with the minutes or with the hours at will.

In variant the two commutators 5 and 6 could be replaced by a deviatoror throw-over-switch.

This time setting system may be modified by the introduction of fourpush buttons or two throw-over-switches.

The introduction of supplementary push buttons (FIG. 2) enables to havethe minutes or the hours come backwards step by step.

One could in this manner choose either to advance or to step backwardthe hours or minutes indicator, according to the shorter way to reachthe desired time from a given initial position.

It is evident that to reach this aim, the condensers 7, 9 respectivelycharged by the resistors 8', 10 give rise to a discharge pulse which isdelivered at a second input of the counters 3 and 4.

The very simplicity of the time setting device has to be noted whichdoes not necessitate any auxiliary oscillator. Furthermore the user mayeffect the time setting at a speed he wants through successive pushes onthe commutators.

We claim:

1. A time setting device for an electronic watch comprising anoscillator, a frequency divider and counting and display devices for theminutes and for the hours connected in series and which comprisesfurther at least one commutator to switch the input of the counter ofthe watch onto a capacitor, a resistor charging said capacitor, thestepping of this counter of one unit being controlled by the dischargeof said capacitor.

2. A device according to claim 1 which comprises two commutators, theone for the setting of the minutes and the other for the setting of thehours.

3. A device according to claim 2, wherein said commutators, eachassociated with one of the counters of the watch, cause by the dischargeof a capacitor, the forward stepping of one unit of the consideredcounter; and which comprises further two other commutators, eachassociated with one of the counters of the watch, causing by thedischarge of a capacitor, the backward stepping of one unit of theconsidered counter.

4. A device according to claim 1, wherein the said counter is forward.

5. A device according to claim 1, wherein the stepping of said counteris backwar stepping of

1. A time setting device for an electronic watch comprising anoscillator, a frequency divider and counting and display devices for theminutes and for the hours connected in series and which comprisesfurther at least one commutator to switch the input of the counter ofthe watch onto a capacitor, a resistor charging said capacitor, thestepping of this counter of one unit being controlled by the dischargeof said capacitor.
 2. A device according to claim 1 which comprises twocommutators, the one for the setting of the minutes and the other forthe setting of the hours.
 3. A device according to claim 2, wherein saidcommutators, each associated with one of the counters of the watch,cause by the discharge of a capacitor, the forward stepping of one unitof the considered counter; and which comprises further two othercommutators, each associated with one of the counters of the watch,causing by the discharge of a capacitor, the backward stepping of oneunit of the considered counter.
 4. A device according to claim 1,wherein the stepping of said counter is forward.
 5. A device accordingto claim 1, wherein the stepping of said counter is backward.